The best return on investment may be in brand advertising, not in direct response,” Jurie Pieterse, director of
brand marketing, ING Direct, said in a keynote to the
Philadelphia Direct Marketers Association in January
2008. “But both disciplines can, and do, work together. We use
a more efficient investment mix in our direct response activities
when it is tied to our brand-building activities.”

It’s an audacious statement from a
man with a long allegiance to the direct
response industry. Pieterse was named
South Africa’s “Young Direct Marketer
of the Year” before transplanting to the
United States and earning a reputation
here as one of the best in the business.
But Pieterse is not afraid to cut against
the grain. Traditional, and relatively unmeasurable, brand awareness campaigns
are his not-so-secret sauce at financial
powerhouse ING Direct — that, and
downright silly taglines. Honk if you like
saving!

Pieterse and his team have taken
an unconventional approach to build
the brand (and bottom line) of an even
more unconventional business. One of
the most notable differences between
ING Direct and other financial institutions is that there are no bank branches.
Saving, investing and customer interac-

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ING Direct believes in creating
advertising content that is “shockingly
simple.” The company’s motto is short and
sweet: Save your money.